A known example of a method of producing ionized water by electrolyzing raw material water is described in Patent Document 1. In providing a brief explanation of the ionized water production method described in this document, a ionized water production device is prepared in which six cylindrical electrolysis cells (each consisting of a ceramic electrolysis diaphragm, a cathode arranged on the inside thereof, and an anode arranged on the outside of the electrolysis diaphragm) are arranged in a single electrolysis bath, a raw material supply source (such as a water pipe) is connected to a water filling pipe of a first electrolysis cell, a drain pipe of the first electrolysis cell is linked with a water filling pipe of the second electrolysis cell adjacent thereto, and the drain pipes and water filling pipes between adjacent electrolysis cells are connected in series for the other electrolysis cells as well.
A supporting electrolyte (saltwater) is filled into the electrolysis bath, and current is applied between the cathode and anode of each electrolysis cell while continuously supplying raw material water to the first electrolysis cell from the raw material water supply source. The raw material water supplied to the first electrolysis cell is electrolyzed, alkaline ionized water is formed within the electrolysis diaphragm, and acidic ionized water is formed outside the electrolysis diaphragm. The alkaline ionized water formed within the electrolysis diaphragm is transferred to the second electrolysis cell as a result of being pushed out by subsequent raw material water, sequentially passes through the third to sixth electrolysis cells, and is finally discharged outside the device. Since electrolysis is also carried out when the alkaline ionized water passes through the second to sixth electrolysis cells, the alkaline ionized water discharged outside the device demonstrates strong alkalinity of pH 12.0 or higher.                Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Publication No. H8-24865        
According to conventional production methods as previously described, although strongly alkaline ionized water can be continuously produced, in addition to the production thereof requiring considerable time, there is also the problem of the consumption of a considerable amount of electrical power in order to carry out electrolysis. More specifically, in the case of using an ionized water production device in which six electrolysis cells having a volume of 1.5 L each are arranged in an electrolysis bath, and setting the current applied to the electrolysis cells to a total of 18 amperes (100V), the time required to produce 10 L of strongly alkaline ionized water having a pH of 12.0 or higher is 60 minutes. In addition, the amount of electrical power consumed in this case is 1800 Wh. Consequently, there is a desire for the development of a device and method that enables strongly alkaline ionized water to be produced in a shorter period of time while consuming less energy.